


Tales From the Rooftops: Arrow Guy VS The Scary Avenger

by Chalenmimi, Queerily_kai



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Hawkeye (Comics)
Genre: Bad movies, Circus!Clint, Dont copy to another site, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Minor Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson, Pancakes, Post-Recovery Bucky Barnes, Slow Burn, alien slug invaders, avengers battles, bucky/clint end game, clint just wants to be an avenger, disaster humans, meet awkward, roof tops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-06 08:31:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19059007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chalenmimi/pseuds/Chalenmimi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queerily_kai/pseuds/Queerily_kai
Summary: Clint, an orphan raised in the Circus had always dreamed of being a superhero and saving the world someday, or at least a city.  So when a group of slug-like aliens arrive in the city through a portal in the sewers, and begin destroying anything metal, Clint see's his chance.Clint finds himself on the same rooftop as the Scary Avenger with the rifle, and manages to prove himself, and his questionable choice of weaponry.  Reluctantly, he is allowed to return and help battle the slugs (who just keep coming back), and gets to know the Scary Avenger, who turns out to be the not actually dead Bucky Barnes.





	Tales From the Rooftops: Arrow Guy VS The Scary Avenger

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Spilled coffee : Tales From the Rooftops: Arrow Guy VS The Scary Avenger](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19066267) by [Chalenmimi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chalenmimi/pseuds/Chalenmimi), [Queerily_kai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queerily_kai/pseuds/Queerily_kai). 



> notes from Kai- Thank you sooo much to the amazing Chalenmimi for her wonderful art of Clint and Bucky that inspired this fic. I couldn't have done it with out her help and feedback with the plot and cheerleading all the way through! And she made even more art for this fic as well!! <3 <3 <3
> 
> And to all the mods for the Captain America Big Bang!!! Tentacle hugs and chef Kisses to you all!
> 
> notes from Chalenmimi- I still can't believe Kai choose my art (as their first choice too, OMG) to create this wonderful fic. They managed to put into words my fumbling emotions and do a characterisation of Bucky and Clint in a loving way hlqzjdl  
> I'm so glad we shared our ideas and you could create something we are able to show everyone : welcome to the meet awkward dynamic !!
> 
> And a super huge thank you to our wonderful beta, [Huntress79](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79)!!

It had been nearly two weeks since the aliens first appeared from the sewers, slimy slug-like things that seemed intent on trying to eat anything metal. While they were unpleasant, they didn’t seem interested in attacking humans like the Chitauri had been, so New Yorkers quickly began thinking of them as the preferred invasive species. Also, the Avengers were working to take care of them, and most people took comfort in the idea that Captain America, the Falcon, Black Widow and Iron Man still had their backs, even if Thor and the Hulk didn’t seem to be around anymore. 

Clint watched anxiously from his Bed Stuy apartment, sharing pizza with his dog Lucky, and wishing he could be part of the action fighting alongside the Avengers, and regretting that he hadn’t been paying attention to the police scanner early enough to get closer. He wanted to see the action first hand, and not just on TV. 

Since first learning about Captain America and his childhood best friend Bucky Barnes in his 7th grade history textbook, Clint had dreamed of being a superhero and saving the world himself someday, or at least saving a city. He passed it off as a childhood fantasy however, having given up on the dream until the world learned about aliens. He watched the advanced Chitauri army attack, and saw the Avengers save the world when Iron Man put a nuke through a portal, and the dream was back. 

He spent more time in the archery range than he had in years, practicing his aim and accuracy at moving targets, and learning to make shots while performing acrobatic flips. He told his coworkers at the circus school (because Clint would always be a circus kid at heart) that he wanted to stay sharp with his skills, or that he was planning future routines, but the truth was that he was training. He was preparing himself to fight in case the Avengers ever needed his help. 

The next time the Slugs appeared, they were closer to his apartment, and he’d had the radio on in time to get to a rooftop a block away from the main battle, where he watched from a corner crouched with his bow and arrow. The Slugs had gotten bigger again, and were moving faster than they had seemed to before. Their goal of eating anything metal didn’t seem to change however, as they clamped their gaping mouths onto anything they could reach, dissolving trash cans, fences and street signs as they went. It seemed that any metal thing they got their mouths on just melted into their bodies. 

Clint did his best to stay low and out of sight as he watched, excited to have a front row seat as he watched the Avengers work efficiently to take them out. He was a little surprised to see that the news reports had not been exaggerating when they claimed the slug monsters melted to goo and then seemed to evaporate when hit with electric pulses, and made a mental note to make sure his taser arrows were in working order before the next fight. 

He did not however notice the sniper on the opposite roof, watching him through a scope as he snuck away from his hiding spot. Nor did he notice the Black Widow at the end of the alley he dropped into after coming down the fire escape who then tailed him home. 

\-----

The following day, a perky redhead in a tracksuit showed up at the school during lunch hour asking for Clint specifically. Her name was Natalie, an actress who was to play an archer in an upcoming movie looking for a couple of private lessons as soon as possible as she didn’t have much time before filming started. He scheduled her for the following morning, during his normal free hour, and did his best to be polite as she flirted and giggled her way through the lesson. She touched his arms and complimented his muscles as he helped her to hold the bow correctly and line up her aim, and he kept his mouth shut about how she was wasting her time as he wasn’t interested in women. 

Natalie talked the whole time, asking dozens of questions about Clint as she missed target after target. And Clint answered, telling her about growing up in a traveling circus, living on the road and being homeschooled by a juggler and a trapeze artist. She asked about the school, and how he became a teacher, and the touring show Clint performed in with his top students during the summer. After an hour, Clint announced that they should probably stop for the day or Natalie would be very sore in the morning and asked if she wanted to schedule another lesson. He was surprised, but not disappointed when she said that she had learned all she needed and another lesson wasn’t necessary. 

\-----

Bucky had just got in place on the rooftop, settling in to cover his team mates from above when he heard the metallic rattle of someone climbing a fire escape. He looked over to see a guy easily flipping over the ledge and on to the roof. The guy crouched low and had started moving smoothly along the edge when he spotted Bucky and froze, bow and arrow strapped to his back. 

Bucky sighed, recognizing it was the same guy he had spotted a few days before, and realized he should have expected the guy to invade his space. 

“Stay on that side, and don’t get in my way,” Bucky called to him, and then resumed watching the street below when he received a thumbs up in response. 

Arrow Guy settled in against the wall, peering over the edge with the bow grasped in his left hand, but stayed true to his word and didn’t move any closer to Bucky’s corner. 

“Nat, your friend is up here,” Bucky whispered into the comms.

“What’s he doing?” the Black Widow asked.

“Nothing, just sitting there watching the street, but he looks ready to fight.”

“I told you he’s not a threat, just ignore him.”

Bucky muted the mic on his comm with a sigh, and went back to waiting for the fight to start, trying not to think about the guy on his roof who had decided to bring a bow and arrow to a gunfight. Amateure.

It was almost ten minutes before any of the slug monsters emerged from the sewers. They were even bigger this time, and moving faster. Natasha and Steve positioned themselves in the road, working to keep them contained to an intersection and attempt to stop them from eating too many cars, while Tony and Sam took flight, taking them out from above with bullets that released an electromagnetic pulse on impact. It wasn’t long before the aliens had all turned to goo and dissolved, and the battle was over. Clint, who had nearly fallen asleep due to the late hour, was quick to get off the roof and slip away before the scary Avenger with the giant gun decided to confront him again. 

\-----

Bucky woke up reluctantly the following morning, slamming the snooze button on his alarm clock and pulling his blankets over his head in hopes of five more minutes of sleep. He could hear Sam and Steve already up and in the kitchen talking about plans for the day, and groaned in annoyance. He would never understand morning people. He owed them both a favor that he could never repay however, and appreciated them both more than he would ever let on. 

Three years ago, Bucky had been under Hydra’s control, brainwashed into doing their bidding as an assassin known as the Winter Soldier. He had been a machine, mind wiped and replaced with Hydra’s programming with no other purpose than to kill. He was kept in storage, cryogenically frozen for the better part of 70 years and only thawed and sent out for key missions when the world needed to be manipulated in Hydra’s favor. Three years ago, The Winter Soldier had tried to kill Sam and Steve. 

Killing Captain America had been the Soldier’s mission on that day, and for the first time, he was not successful. Instead of fighting, Captain America had called the Soldier a friend and insisted his name was Bucky. The Asset didn’t remember Steve or being called Bucky, not that day at least, but it was enough to make him decide to run from his handlers and disappear for a while to try to understand. 

They found him again nearly a year later in Romania, and this time, he remembered. The memories had slowly come back, of being a kid in Brooklyn with a little blonde boy who was sick all the time, and fighting alongside the Howling Commandos and Captain America during the second World War. He agreed to return with Sam and Steve to New York, where S.H.I.E.L.D. would help him clear his name and get his life back. 

Bucky had just drifted back to sleep when there was a banging at his bedroom door.  
“Get your ass up and go to therapy, Jerk!” Steve called out from the hallway.

He threw back the blankets with a groan and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of his bed, feeling as though he could fall back to sleep sitting up as he scanned the room for clean clothes. He threw on a pair of jeans that didn’t seem to be obviously dirty along with his favorite red henley and a hoodie, and shoved a hat over his tangled hair before stumbling out of his room. 

Sam and Steve were sitting at the kitchen table with coffee and eggs when he shuffled past to the front door, talking quietly over travel brochures that they had spread across the table. They were finally planning a long overdue vacation together to someplace remote and tropical, and Bucky was happy for them. They deserved it. 

“Morning, Bucky,” Sam called out, “There’s more coffee if you want.”

“Gonna stop for some on my way,” Bucky replied. “Thanks though.” 

While Bucky liked the idea of having coffee right away, he wasn’t up for a conversation with Sam and Steve before he had to go and talk even more with his therapist. Words were too hard before he was fully awake. 

He was about to enter the small coffee shop where the baristas already knew his order and he didn’t have to speak if he didn’t want to, when a man came rushing out of the bodega next door and bumped his shoulder as he passed. Bucky tensed up defensively, prepared for a fight, when he realized it was a civilian who was about to slip on a patch of ice. He reached out attempting to catch the man under his arm and break his fall, but ended up instead with a handful of fabric from the man’s hood, and hot coffee spilled down his front.

“Aww, coffee, no,” the man exclaimed from the sidewalk, now sitting on the patch of ice he had slipped on. He quickly snatched up his cup from the sidewalk and held it close, thankful for the small amount that had yet to spill out. He frowned at his apple which had rolled out of the bag and into the street, but the chips and sandwiches he had also bought for lunch were still fine. 

“You again,” Bucky growled from behind, tugging at the hood.

Clint stood and turned to look at him, noticing that the man he had nearly collided with looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember why. 

“Uh, do I know you?” Clint asked, nervously eyeing the coffee stain spreading across the mans shirt. 

“You’re the idiot who was on my roof last night, with the damn bow and arrow.”

Right. The scary Avenger with the giant rifle. That’s why he looked familiar. Probably. Bucky was still holding onto his hood, and glaring at Clint as if he was demanding an explanation. 

“I thought I could maybe help? You know, If you guys needed extra backup or something?” Clint quickly replied. 

Bucky raised an eyebrow, judging him hard before shaking his head. 

“What! Im a good shot!” Clint exclaimed, wondering if the guy was going to let go anytime soon. 

“Whatever, Arrow Guy,” Bucky grunted, finally releasing Clint’s hood from his grip. “Just stay off my roof before you get yourself killed.”

“My name is Clint, not Arrow Guy.” 

“Don’t care,” Bucky growled as he strode off, and went into the shop to get his coffee. 

\-----

“Nice of you to join us, Clint!” Kate called from the front desk as Clint rushed into the school. “Only ten minutes late for your own class.” 

“Drop it, Kate,” Clint said with a glare as he slipped past her to put his lunch in the fridge in the teachers lounge. 

“You ok?” Kate asked, noticing his slight limp and the new bandages on his arm.

“Yeah, I’ll be good, just didn’t get much sleep last night,” he explained, brushing off her concerns. 

“Who did you fight this time?” she asked.

“No one, and I’m late for class. Remember?” he replied, squeezing past her out of the lounge and made his way down the hall to the acrobatics gym. It definitely felt like a Monday. 

The battle the previous night had gone on past one in the morning, and he had found himself beginning to doze off on the roof toward the end. Once he realized the fight was over, and the police and Avengers were starting to leave, he decided to make a quick exit before another confrontation with a superhero. 

In his exhaustion, he managed to miss a step on his way down the fire escape, flipped over the railing and fell into a dumpster (which was luckily full of mostly cardboard), scraping an arm on the way down. By the time he got home and cleaned up, it was past three, and he hoped for at least four hours of sleep as he crawled into bed, and proceeded to lay awake as memories of the fight and thoughts about the scary Avenger who had been on the roof ran through his mind. 

Clint’s 7:30 alarm was already going off before he managed to fully fall asleep, and he groaned as he hit the snooze button, wallowing under his blankets until 8 AM when the probability of being late for work changed from likely to definitely. Realizing he didn’t have time to make coffee at home, and had forgotten to make his lunch the night before, he threw on clothes and ran out the door, planning to stop at the Bodega on the way. 

\----

On Thursday night, just as Clint had picked up an address over the police scanner where the Avengers were assembling for another battle with the alien slugs, the sound cut out.

“Radio, no,” he whined, turning up the volume knob with no affect. 

After a moment of fiddling, and realizing the radio might not actually be the problem, he brought a hand up to his ear and snapped his fingers. He couldn’t hear the snap either. 

With a sigh, he pulled off his hearing aids, and tossed them onto the coffee table. The batteries had died, and he had forgotten, again, to stop for replacements on his way home knowing that this would likely happen soon. No point in wearing them if they didn’t actually work. He didn’t need to be able to hear to hit a target anyway. 

He knew the likely location however, and decided to grab his bow and arrows and head to the fight. As before, the scary Avenger was in the corner with his rifle, looking directly at him with his arms crossed as Clint slipped into position on the far side of the roof and readied his weapon. 

“I thought I told you to stay off my roof!” Bucky yelled over, but Clint didn’t respond. Didn’t even look over. 

“Hey!” Bucky called again, throwing a pebble at the guy and hitting his shoulder. 

Clint looked up surprised, and saw that Bucky had his arms up in the air, clearly trying to communicate with him. 

“Sorry, can’t hear you. Hearing aids are dead,” Clint called back. 

Bucky shook his head, returned to his crouched position near his rifle, and waited for the fight to begin. 

The slugs were bigger again, as expected, and took a few more hits to kill them this time. As before, Clint watched the fight with an arrow nocked, ready to take a shot, but the Avengers still didn’t seem to need his help. 

Clint felt another pebble hit his arm, and looked over at Bucky to see that he was pointing up to the sky. He looked up and saw Falcon with two flying slugs on his six, who had apparently deciding that his wings looked like a tasty snack. Inexplicably, some of the slugs could fly now. What the fuck. 

Without hesitating, Clint nocked a second arrow in his bow, and released two taser arrows simultaneously, disabling both slugs and causing them to fall the the ground where Steve was quick to finish them off. 

Bucky walked over to Clint once the fight was over. 

“So, that wasn’t awful,” he said once he got close. 

Clint just pointed to his ears and shrugged. “I can read your lips if we move closer to that streetlight, though.”

Bucky nodded and moved positions, with Clint following closely, trying not to show how nervous he was. He hoped the scary Avenger wasn’t about to kill him. 

“I said that wasn’t awful,” Bucky repeated once he was standing in the light.

“I told you I was a good shot,” Clint replied, trying not to sound too defensive. 

“Or you got lucky.”

Bucky opened his mouth like he was about to speak again, but groaned instead, glaring down at the street where Captain America appeared to be hugging the Falcon and speaking into his ear. 

“Looks like I won’t be going home for a while,” Bucky said, looking back at Clint. 

“Why’s that?” Clint asked, still trying to work out what was actually going on. 

“Because Sam almost got hurt tonight, and they generally have very loud sex after things like that happen. I don’t want to hear it.”

Clint nodded, sort of understanding. “Pancakes?” he asked. 

“Huh?” Bucky replied, looking even more confused than Clint had been. 

“I know a place with good pancakes a couple blocks away, if you wanna go get pancakes with me.”

Bucky stared at him for a long moment, before simply saying “No” and walking away. 

 

\----

Bucky groaned as Natasha pinned him to the mat for the third time in their sparring session, grinning down at him with an elbow digging into his collarbone for a long moment before letting him up. 

“You’re distracted today,” she stated as she moved to take a sip from her water bottle. 

Bucky nodded, staying sprawled on his back. “Guess I am.” 

She picked up his water bottle and tossed it to him, letting out a laugh when he fumbled to catch it, nearly dropping it on his face. 

“Ok, make that super distracted,” she amended. “Nightmares again?” 

While Bucky was finally free of Hydra’s brainwashing, and had managed to take control of his life again with the help of therapy and time, the memories of being kept as the Asset still haunted his dreams occasionally. 

“Not this time,” Bucky said. He ignored her as he sat up and took a few long sips of water. He didn’t need to look up to know that Natasha was glaring at him and judging. 

“He likes guys too, you know.” Natasha told him, changing the subject. “Or at least he’s not into women.”

“Who are you talking about?” Bucky asked, eyeing her suspiciously. 

“Clint, of course,” she answered. “Or Arrow Guy as you keep calling him.”

“What does that idiot have to do with anything,” Bucky said, tossing his water bottle to the edge of the mat and standing again. 

“Nothing, everything, you tell me,” she answered with a shrug. “Just sharing a common interest.”

“Thanks for the info, I guess,” Bucky replied, moving back to the center of the mat. “Let’s go again.”

It didn’t take long for Natasha to pin Bucky to the mat for the fourth time that day, in the quickest fight of the session. Bucky was relieved that Sam and Steve were not around to see, knowing how much they would tease him back home later if they had been watching. 

\----

Clint was staring at his coffee pot as it brewed, hoping that he wouldn’t be needlessly up all night after drinking coffee at nine pm, but it had been three days since the last fight with the slugs, and the pattern said they would be back tonight. While the exact timing and locations had been varied, they were consistent about showing up every fourth day, and he wanted to be ready.  
He had just poured a mug and was about to catch up on Dog Cops when his phone vibrated with a new text. 

_Unknown number:_  
_643 E 13th St, 1 hr._  
_South east corner of the roof_

He guessed that it was from an Avenger, or maybe even S.H.I.E.L.D., knowing that his presence was no longer a secret after he helped the Falcon in the previous fight. He also knew better than to question how any of them may have gotten his number. He quickly downed his coffee, wincing as it burned his throat, changed into black pants and a dark purple shirt, and was on his way to the East Village with his bow and quiver. 

The Scary Avenger was on the roof again when Clint arrived, waiting for him near a light in black leather tactical gear with his metal arm glistening. Clint found himself a little turned on, and briefly questioned why he wasn’t terrified instead. 

“You got my text,” Bucky growled as Clint approached. “Good.”

“Uh, yeah, I did,” Clint replied. “Didn’t know it was from you though. Cool.” 

“It was Steve’s idea, you're on his good side after that shot last time,” Bucky explained. “And who knows? Maybe you’ll manage another lucky shot.”

“Wasn’t luck.”

“Then prove it,” Bucky challenged. “You go up on that chimney and watch the guys in the sky, and I’ll keep an eye on the street from over there.” 

He pointed to the spots on the roof as he quickly shared the plan, as Clint nodded in understanding. 

“Does this mean I’m an Avenger now?” Clint asked. 

“This doesn’t mean anything,” Bucky replied with a glare, and moved to his corner to set up his rifle. 

As before, the slugs were bigger and moving faster, and more of them could fly. Clints taser arrows and Bucky’s electric bullets were only able to disable the slugs, dropping them to the street, where they continued to cause destruction. Many of them were now eating cars. It wasn’t long before the flying slugs were grounded, but the fight on the street was still going strong. 

“Everyone on the ground and finish these guys!” Steve called over the comms. 

Bucky looked up at Clint who was struggling to find a target between the cars along the road and the numerous awnings lining the sidewalk. He waved a hand in the air to get Clint’s attention and gestured for him to come down. 

“Cap wants us down on the street,” Bucky said as Clint dropped down from the chimney. “Fire escape is this way.”

“I have a better idea,” Clint said, pulling an arrow with a large hook on the tip from his quiver and stepping to the edge of the roof. “Get over here and grab onto me.” 

Bucky hesitated for a moment, wondering what the hell Clint had in mind, but realized he had probably pulled crazier stunts with Steve during the war and stepped in behind him. Clint glanced back over his shoulder with a quick smile, and then locked the arrow into the bow and aimed for a street lamp. He fired the hook, and Bucky noticed that the shaft of the arrow stayed in place while the hook was launched out attached to a thin cable. 

Realizing what Clint’s idea probably was, Bucky tightened his grip around his chest and shoulders, just as Clint jumped off the roof, holding on to his bow. This is not going to end well, Bucky thought as they swung down and over the street, narrowly missing a street sign before crashing into a parked car and finally landing hard on the street, both on their stomachs with Bucky on top of Clint. 

“That was your idea?” Bucky growled, intentionally kicking Clint in the hip as he climbed off his back and got to his feet. 

“It went a little different in my head.”

Bucky glared at Clint for a long moment before pulling his gun from his back and moving to the intersection where the battle with the slugs was still going on. 

“Want me to beat him up for you?” Natasha asked from the edge of the sidewalk as Bucky moved past her. From the grin on her face, Bucky assumed she had been laughing moments before. 

“If anyone is going to beat Arrow Guy up it's going to be me,” Bucky replied. He abruptly ended the conversation by taking out three slugs in quick succession and continuing into the fray without another word. 

The street was chaos, and disgusting with the slugs disintegrating into goo all around them. Clint had run out of arrows, and found himself darting around the intersection scrambling to reclaim them so he could stay in the fight. Bucky and Clint were both quick to decide that they preferred the vantage point from the rooftops, where they could see everything from above and avoid the goo. 

Bucky, who realized his rifle was not practical in close combat, had pulled out a couple hand held tasers and resorted to punching the slugs with them. It wasn’t the most effective method, but the slugs were going down, and he had to admit that punching them felt good. Tony and Steve had figured out a way to bounce the electromagnetic pulse from Tony’s iron man suit off his shield (which they were pleased to discover amplified the power) so they could shoot around corners, and around the other avengers quickly taking down rows of slugs. 

Natasha stayed to the outskirts, keeping an eye on the sewer grates and manhole covers, taking out the stragglers still trying to make their way to the street with her widow bites, while Sam stayed in the air, watching everyone's backs, armed with electric bullets. 

Eventually, everything went quiet and the final slug melted into a pile of goo. The air smelled like a mix of burned popcorn and melting plastic as the puddles evaporated, and everyone looked relieved. It was over, for tonight at least. 

 

\----

 

Bucky was leaning against what remained of a car, primarily tires and seats, as most of the hood and door panels had been eaten, watching as Steve gave his reports to the police and declared the area safe. Clint had just finished picking up any arrows that looked salvageable, and stopped to stand at Bucky’s side. 

“So that was fun,” Clint said with a laugh. 

Bucky turned his head to glare at Clint and crossed his arms with a huff. “You have a messed up idea of fun, then.”

“Probably true,” Clint said. He was pacing around the sidewalk, about to give up on a conversation and just go home when Captain America came over. 

“Hey man,” Steve called out, hand raised in an almost wave, “Clint, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” Clint replied, looking up. “Yeah, I’m Clint. Nice to meet you, Captain America, Sir.”  
He had his hand half raised, attempting to salute, when Steve stopped him. 

“That’s not necessary,” he said, gesturing for Clint to lower his hand. “And call me Steve.”

“Uh, right,” Clint said, dropping his hand. “Steve.”

He stood awkwardly. None of his daydreams about meeting Steve Rogers in person had prepared him for the real deal, and he hoped it wasn’t obvious that he was kinda freaking out. 

“Well, I’ll let you get home, but wanted to say thanks for the help! It was good to have another person on our side,” Steve said with a smile before turning to Bucky. “You coming with us to get burgers?” 

“Uh, nah, not tonight,” Bucky answered. “I’ll see you at home later.”

“Okay,” Steve said, and walked back to where Sam, Natasha and Tony were waiting. 

“So uh, pancakes instead?” Clint asked hesitantly. “I mean, you gotta be hungry, and I can’t imagine there's any leftovers in your fridge you’d rather eat right now.” 

Bucky stood and turned to face Clint, arms still crossed as he stared at him. He was about to say no, when he remembered that their fridge was in fact nearly empty, and how his therapist had been encouraging him to meet more people. 

“Alright, fine. Pancakes.” Bucky agreed. “We gotta get our stuff from the roof first, though.”

Without another word, he crossed the street and ducked down an alley to climb up a fire escape with Clint right behind. 

\----

The diner was old, with a dying neon sign that flickered and buzzed in the window, simply reading “Diner” in red. The vinyl seats, which Bucky assumed were once red and shiny, were now cracked with bits of foam poking out, and the chrome accenting the counter had lost its mirror-like finish long ago. He doubted the jukebox in the corner had any music from the current century. 

“Hey, Mary Beth,” Clint called out, waving to a waitress behind the counter. 

The woman looked up with a smile as Clint led the way to a table toward the back. “I’ll be right over with a fresh pot of coffee for you, dear.”

They tucked their weapons bags under the table and carefully slid onto the booth, flinching as tears in the seat covering snagged at their clothes. Mary Beth was quick to arrive, carrying two mugs and a pot of coffee, filling their cups and leaving the pot behind. 

“I’ll be back in a few minutes for your order,” she said before moving away to check on the one other customer, a college-aged girl with a laptop and mountain of books who looked like she had been there a while. 

“So you come here often?” Bucky asked, grabbing a menu from the edge of the table. 

“When I can’t sleep, so yeah, pretty often. Doesn’t look like much, but the pancakes are the best I’ve ever had,” Clint answered. 

He picked up the coffee cup and took a large sip, slurping at the rim and sighing loudly as he set his mug back down. Bucky lowered his menu to glare at him. 

“Coffee is life,” Clint said looking into his cup, oblivious to the look Bucky was giving him. 

“And you wonder why you don’t sleep.”

Mary Beth was back to take their orders, and Clint asked for his usual full stack of banana and chocolate chip pancakes. Bucky raised an eyebrow at him before asking for a full stack of plain.  
“And lots of bacon and sausage on the side!” Clint called out to Mary Beth as she started back to the kitchen. 

“You would like bananas,” Bucky said as soon as she was out of earshot. 

“Um, yeah?” Clint replied. “You don’t”

“Not anymore. They used to taste so much better, but now they are just kinda bland,” Bucky explained. 

Clint had no idea what he was talking about so he just nodded, pretending to understand, and changed the subject. 

“So Captain America and The Falcon. Never would have guessed those two are doing it.”

Bucky sighed and shifted his elbow onto the table, resting his forehead on his palm. This was a terrible idea. 

“Because they don’t want you to guess that. Sam and Steve put a lot of energy into keeping their relationship a secret,” Bucky said. 

“Oh, I guess that makes sense,” Clint said with a nod. “But why?” 

“Whole mess of reasons. S.H.I.E.L.D. wants Steve to keep up with his Captain America persona and wholesome public image, and the media would go crazy if they came out publicly right now,” Bucky explained. “Steve has already had a couple stalkers, and the paparazzi follow both of them already, so they would never get any privacy.”

Clint nodded with a slight frown. Seemed obvious now. 

“You have a problem with that?” Bucky asked, misreading Clint’s expression. 

“No, I’m gay too, so obviously I don’t,” Clint answered quickly. “Just trying to make conversation.” 

Bucky sipped at his coffee, avoiding looking at Clint. 

“Do you have a problem with it?” Clint asked. 

“Not anymore. I hated Sam at first, but they are good for each other. Steve is happy with him.” 

“Were you and Steve ever…. uh…,” Clint trailed off, wondering if he was crossing a line. He usually was. 

“Not really, I mean we got drunk and fooled around a few times, but nothing serious. Lots of down time during the war.” Bucky fidgeted with a napkin as he spoke, smiling slightly as if lost in a memory. “He’s like my brother, and I had to make sure Sam deserved him.” 

Before Clint had a chance to make the situation anymore awkward, Mary Beth returned with a large tray full of their food. She had taken his request for lots of sausage and bacon seriously, setting down two plates with easily triple the normal side order of each along with their pancakes and syrup. 

“Enjoy the smorgasbord, boys!” Mary Beth exclaimed as she walked away, back to her magazine behind the counter. 

“Smorgasbord?” Bucky questioned.

“Yeah, she likes weird words, that one is her favorite,” Clint said. 

Bucky just shrugged and picked up a fork to start in on his pancakes. 

They didn’t talk for a while as they ate, or in Clint’s case inhaled, their food. 

Bucky was about a third of the way through his stack of pancakes, when he paused eating and looked up at Clint, who had half a pancake in his hand, that he was putting bacon and sausage on top of and rolling up. He then poured maple syrup over the top and shoved a giant bite into his mouth. 

“Oh, that is so gross,” Bucky groaned. 

Clint smiled in response and picked up his coffee mug, slurping as he washed down his mouthful. 

“You know you’re supposed to chew, right?” Bucky asked, picking up a piece of bacon. “And stop slurping.”

Bucky tried to ignore Clint’s disgusting eating habits as he finished his pancakes and leaned back with a sigh. Clint did the same soon after, groaning about how he felt sick, while still nibbling at a sausage link. 

“So where the hell did you learn to shoot an arrow like that?” Bucky asked, staring down at the butter knife he was spinning between his fingers. 

“In the circus, when I was a kid. Learned from a performer called Trickshot. He taught me to throw knives, too,” Clint answered, refilling his coffee cup. 

“The circus?” Bucky asked. “You ran away and joined it or something?”

“Basically, yeah,” Clint answered with a shrug. “My brother Barney and I ended up in a foster home after our parents died in a car accident. New family was worse than our actual parents had been though, and our real dad beat the shit out of us regularly. I can thank our foster dad for the blow to the head that left me deaf though. So when we heard the circus was in town we snuck in and asked them to take us with them.”

“And they agreed?” Bucky asked. 

“Not at first. They sent us home with free tickets, saying to come back with our parents the next day. Surprisingly, foster parents agreed to bring us back, but then acted like assholes to us the whole time,” Clint explained. He paused his story for another sip of coffee, and noticed that Bucky had sat up and was actually paying attention. “So Trickshot hears our new foster dad threaten to beat us if we didn’t calm down and stop acting like children, and saying we weren’t worth the money from the government for taking us in, and realized we were right to be trying to run away.”

“But you were children,” Bucky interrupted. 

Clint nodded. 

“One of the trapeze artists was able to get us away from them and hid us in her trailer, while Trickshot and a couple clowns took care of our foster dad,” Clint explained. “And we stayed with them. The circus was our new family from that day on.”

“They killed him?” Bucky asked. 

“Nah, just roughed him up enough to convince him not to come looking for us,” Clint said. “Never saw the bastard again.”

“Huh, that’s good, I guess,” Bucky said, grabbing the last piece of bacon off the plate. “I thought Nat was joking when she said you were a circus performer.”

“How does Nat know that?” Clint asked.

“Because she came to your school for an archery lesson and you told her,” Bucky answered. “You really didn’t know it was her?” 

“Huh? That ditzy actress?” 

Bucky nodded in confirmation. 

“I thought she kinda looked like Black Widow, but I couldn’t imagine why Black Widow would need my help.”

“You actually are as dumb as I thought,” Bucky mumbled. “And even more annoying.” 

Clint was struggling to come up with a good comeback when Mary Beth came to clear their empty plates and drop off the bill. 

“Stay as long as you’d like, boys. Not like we ever close.”

“So you asked about me?” Clint asked once the waitress was back in the kitchen. 

“You were on my roof with a weapon. I needed to know if you were a threat,” Bucky replied. “She said you were a harmless idiot.” 

“Been called worse,” Clint said with a shrug. 

The conversation hit an awkward silence when Bucky announced that he was heading home, and threw a twenty dollar bill down on the table. 

“So, you’re going to text me, right, next time the slugs attack?” Clint asked as Bucky grabbed his duffle bag from under the table and slung it over his shoulder. 

“I dunno, maybe,” Bucky answered before walking out of the diner. 

Clint stayed in the booth about ten minutes longer, too full to move yet and realizing he still didn’t know the scary Avenger’s name. 

\-----

Sam and Steve were still up on the couch watching TV, too wired to sleep still, when Bucky arrived home. 

“Hey, Buck,” Steve said as Bucky came into the living room and collapsed onto the other couch with a sigh. 

Bucky returned the greeting with a nod as he settled back into the cushions.  
“I’m getting tired of those damn slug things,” he complained. “They’re not even satisfying to kill with the way they just dissolve.” 

“Easy to say from your spot on the rooftop,” Sam retorted. “You don’t have to smell them. I will gladly take a boring dissolve over exploding slime all over me any day.” 

Steve laughed out loud, and nodded in agreement. “It does help with the clean up.”

“I guess that’s one in the positives column for these guys,” Bucky said. “Is Stark any closer to actually getting rid of them?”

“I think so?” Steve replied, “He was talking about creating some kind of electromagnetic containment bubble or something with Dr. Strange earlier today. From what I understood, he thinks he can catch one, and then have Strange portal it to the lab. No idea what that will accomplish though.” 

“Who knows with Stark. He could just want a new lab mascot or something,” Sam said. “But for real, I hope this works. And fast before one actually eats my wings.” 

Bucky grinned, remembering the shot Clint had made with two arrows at once to get the flying slugs off Sams tail. 

“You would enjoy that, asshole,” Sam commented, glaring at Bucky. 

“So where did you go after the fight?” Steve asked, before Sam and Bucky could get into another stupid argument. 

“I uh, I went to get pancakes with Arrow Guy,” Bucky said quietly. 

“So how was your date?” Sam teased. Steve elbowed him to shut him up. 

“Wasn’t a date,” Bucky answered defensively. “Just remembered that we have no food in the fridge after he asked.”

“You sure about that?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow, “because you did choose pancakes with just him, instead of burgers with the rest of the team.” 

“He’s kind of annoying,” Bucky said, crossing his arms. “And I don’t know what he was thinking trying to fight with us with no training. Dude’s a walking safety hazard.” 

“Maybe, but he is a good shot, and he has been helping,” Steve replied. “And you keep inviting him back to your rooftops, so you can’t hate him that much.” 

Bucky uncrossed his arms and let them drop heavily onto the couch with a huff. Everyone knew that Bucky’s rooftops were sacred and private during battles. He didn’t even let Steve up with him most of the time. 

“How did you two know?” Bucky asked hesitantly, “that you, uh…”  
He raised his hands at them, and and then moved them closer as if he was pushing invisible objects together. 

“That we both liked each other?” Steve asked. 

Bucky nodded.

“I actually thought he was kind of an ass the first time we met. A bit cocky, took too many risks. Had enough of that in my life already,” Sam answered, smiling at Steve who was glaring back at him. 

“That is all true,” Bucky stated.

“And I thought Sam just wanted to get to know me for my fame, so he could tell everyone he was friends with Captain America,” Steve said. 

“That may have been a tiny bit true,” Sam admitted. 

“So what changed?” Bucky asked, siting up a little more on the couch. 

“Well, the soldier tried to kill me, and Sam had my back,” Steve answered. “And then the soldier tried to kill him too, so you could say we had a shared experience.”

“Oh, right,” Bucky said, averting his eyes to stare down at the floor. “Sorry.”

“Stop it, Bucky,” Sam warned. “We’ve talked about this, that wasn’t you.”

“That’s right,” Steve added, “Hydra tried to kill us. Not you.” 

Bucky nodded, still staring at the floor. 

“Do you think you’re going to hang out with him again?” Sam asked. 

“I don't know. Maybe,” Bucky said with a shrug. “He’s a disgusting eater, but it wasn’t bad.”

Steve smiled at him. Bucky saying someone “wasn’t bad” was practically a glowing recommendation. 

“Will you at least text him again for the next battle in a few days?” Steve asked. “Because despite his lack of real training, he has been helpful, and we all know they will be even harder to kill next time.” 

“Yeah, I will,” Bucky agreed. 

Bucky stretched out his arms with a yawn and leaned back on the couch again, zoned out staring at the ceiling for a moment. His stomach was still very full of pancakes and bacon, and despite the coffee, he was exhausted. He stood with a groan and stood from the couch, waving ‘goodnight’ to Steve and Sam. 

\----

It had been two days since Clint had taken the Scary Avenger to the diner, and he had found himself daydreaming back to their conversation many times. He didn’t actually seem so scary anymore, once he was sitting across from him eating pancakes under the red glow of the neon sign. He looked tired, and a little anxious, and human. 

Clint remembered how the mans attention shifted when he mentioned being abused as a child.  
How his expression had changed from bored to concerned. The Scary Avenger didn’t speak much other than to complain, but he listened and seemed to care. He stopped seeming so scary, and Clint wanted to know more about him. 

Kate had noticed something was up with Clint when he arrived at the school early, and was already in a good mood despite only having half a cup of coffee so far that day.  
“So what's his name?” she asked as Clint entered the teachers lounge. 

“What’s who’s name?” Clint asked, shooting her a confused look. 

“I can tell you met someone recently, with the stupid crush face you’ve been walking around with lately,” she replied, sitting on the couch. “Sit down and tell me everything.”

Clint opened his mouth to protest, but found himself thinking about the Scary Avenger with a smile instead. He sat next to Kate on the couch with a sigh, knowing that there was no getting out of this. 

“I don’t actually know his name, but he’s an Avenger,” Clint began. “I’ve been helping them fight those slug things for a couple weeks now.” 

Kate raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief, but encouraged Clint to continue. He explained how he had been listening to a police radio to figure out where the Avengers were going to be fighting, and started hanging out on a nearby rooftop with his bow, and how he had ended up on the same rooftop as the Scary Avenger with the giant rifle and metal arm. 

“The Scary Avenger?” Kate questioned, wondering how ridiculous their code names had gotten. 

“Yeah, I need to call him something,” Clint defended, “And I already told you I don't know his name.”

He finished telling her about he double arrow shot to help save the Falcon, right up to getting pancakes at the diner a few nights before. 

“I still can't tell if this is all an elaborate lie, or if you’ve actually managed to worm your way onto the team,” Kate said when he finished. 

His story did convince her however that Clint had a new crush that he had been seeing late at night, and she changed the subject to ask more about the guy. Clint couldn't think of much more to say other than to describe him as ‘scary, dark and broody’ before students began arriving, and was relieved to have to get to the gym to set up for his first class. 

\-----  
Clint had just settled onto the couch after work, and was flipping through the channels with Lucky sprawled across his lap, when there was a knock at the door. He threw down the remote with a sigh and wriggled out from under the dog, mumbling about not wanting to deal with any problems right now. He was expecting one of his tenants to be at his door, needing a repair made in their apartment. It was a downside to buying the building that he should have expected. 

He opened the door to find the Black Widow however, and felt his heart rate speed up. He couldn’t think of a reason for an Avenger to be at his apartment that didn’t mean disaster. 

“Natalie,” he greeted with a smirk, “or should I say Black Widow?”

“So you did figure it out,” she replied. “I was wondering how long it would take.”

“The scary guy told me,” he admitted, opening the door further and stepping back. “I guess come on in?”

Natasha entered with a nod, glancing around at the mess of dirty coffee mugs and take out boxes that littered Clint’s kitchen counters and coffee table and making no attempt to hide her disgust. Lucky, having realized that Natasha was not there to deliver food, and in his opinion was uninteresting, had resumed snoring on the couch.

“There are some things you should know about Bucky if you are serious about him,” Natasha said once Clint had closed the door and held out a folder to him. 

“If I’m what?” Clint asked, reaching hesitantly to take the folder. “Bucky?”

“bòzhe mòi… You’re both idiots.” She mumbled, shaking her head. “The guy you have been hanging out on the rooftops with for weeks. Bucky Barnes.” 

Clint suddenly realized why the guy had looked so familiar. He had stared at that same face in his history books as a kid, when he was learning about Captain America and the Howling Commandos during WWII. It wasn’t possible. 

He realized he was staring at the floor with his mouth open, while Natasha impatiently waited for him to catch up. 

“But Bucky Barnes is dead,” Clint finally said, looking up at her. 

“That was the belief for a long time,” she said, “Just like Steve Rogers was thought to be dead.”

Clint was at a loss for words, and stared at the manila folder in his hands with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on the front. 

“That folder should answer most of your questions and explain some things,” she said. 

Clint nodded. “Are you sure it's ok? That he won't be upset about me reading this?” 

 

“He wants you to know,” Natasha assured him, “but he doesn't like talking about it, so this way is best.”

“Ok,” Clint said, nodding in understanding. “I guess thanks, then.” 

“I hope to see you again soon,” she said, clearly dismissing him as she headed toward the door. “We really did appreciate your help with the slugs the other day.” 

“I’m happy to help anytime,” Clint said as he opened the door for her, and waved goodbye, watching as she walked down the hall and into the stairwell. What even was his life anymore?

Clint closed the door to his apartment and stood for a long moment looking at the folder in his hands. It was thick with important looking documents, and Clint’s chest tightened with nerves as he realized this was probably some seriously confidential stuff he had been trusted with. He filled his coffee mug from the pot on the counter, and sat back down on the couch to begin reading.

The folder contained documents from various government and military branches, including the U.S. Army and S.S.R. detailing his enlistment and eventual assignment to the 107th as Sargent, and later his involvement with Captain America’s special ops team, and the fall from the train that Clint had learned was how Bucky Barnes was killed in action. 

The next few documents were more grim, with many parts blacked out as some of the information was still confidential and he was a civilian. These told a darker story, of torture and brainwashing by the Russians, and his transformation to a weapon for Hydra known as the Winter Soldier. Clint was holding back tears as he read of how Bucky was kept cryogenically frozen in storage between missions, and how his memories were regularly erased to keep him compliant. 

The final few pages, on S.H.I.E.L.D. stationary, told a more hopeful story however, including Sam and Steve’s report of recovering Bucky in Romania, and the progress Bucky had made with the help of his therapist to recover his memories, and regain his autonomy. Bucky, the quiet brooding guy from the rooftops was learning to be human again. 

Clint closed the folder and tossed it onto the coffee table, leaning back with a sigh. He stared at the wall as he ran his fingers through Lucky’s fur, and processed everything he had just read. It was horrific, worse than Clint had expected, but he also understood that the violent acts and assassinations that were attributed to the Winter Soldier were not Bucky. That those actions did not represent the shy, anxious man he’d had pancakes with, and fought aliens with in the weeks before. 

He picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts list till he reached the one listed as ‘Scary Avenger’ and edited the name to read ‘Bucky Barnes’ instead before writing out a text. 

_I read the folder from Natasha. Your past doesn’t scare me._

He stared at it for a long moment before he hit send and tossed his phone onto the table. 

 

\-----

Bucky had been pacing the apartment with his phone in his hand for the past hour, anxiously awaiting some kind of reply from Clint. It had been his idea to have Natasha deliver the information to Clint’s apartment, knowing that he would need to share his past eventually if they were going to be friends, or possibly more, but he still didn’t like the idea. He also knew how difficult it was to talk about his past himself, and preferred avoiding the conversation as much as possible. He was initially relieved when Natasha easily agreed, but began panicking as soon as she was on her way. 

Unlike when Steve was found still alive in the ice several years previously, there had been no media coverage about Bucky being alive as well. Most S.H.I.E.L.D employees knew about his past as the Winter Soldier, and as Steve Rogers’ best friend before that, but respected his request to keep it quiet. He assumed most of them were too afraid of him to talk about it anyway, and while that wasn’t ideal, It worked out in his favor. 

When Bucky had first joined the Avengers, reporters had noticed that there was a new member, and attempted to talk to him during press conferences, but he would refuse to speak to them, standing at Steve’s side with his arms crossed, glaring instead. It wasn’t long before they stopped asking him to attend. Sam and Steve were much better at handling the press, and Bucky just wanted to do his job and stay out of the spotlight. 

Bucky had initially seen Clint as a reckless idiot who he assumed would just get in the way, but after fighting alongside him earlier in the week, he realized that Clint really was a good guy who was trying to do the right thing. His methods and choice of weapon may be a little questionable, but the guy definitely had heart. When he listened to Clint talk about his life in foster care, and getting a fresh start after getting out of a tough situation, Bucky realized that he might actually understand and started thinking of him as a potential friend.

Bucky made another lap through the kitchen, stealing a carrot from Sam’s cutting board, before returning again to the living room where Steve was trying to read. 

“There’s not going to be any food left for dinner if you keep eating everything before I can even cook it,” Sam called to him, feeding off the nervous energy Bucky had been projecting. 

“Buck, it will all work out,” Steve said, setting his book in his lap and looking up at Bucky who was fidgeting with his phone in the middle of the room. “Just try to relax. Distract yourself with a puzzle.” 

Bucky nodded, and picked up the book of Sudoku puzzles from the coffee table and sat heavily on the couch. He was half way through solving one when his phone buzzed with a new text, and Bucky tensed up again, suddenly afraid of how Clint may react. 

Bucky held his breath as he picked up his phone and read the message, letting out a relieved sigh at the response. 

“What did he say?” Steve asked. 

“That my past doesn’t scare him,” Bucky paraphrased, and Steve nodded with approval. 

“I don’t know what to do now,” Bucky said softly, still staring at Clint’s message on his phone. 

“You text him back and finally ask him on a real date!” Sam yelled from the kitchen. “Finally do something about those raging hard ons you’ve both had for each other. Everyone has seen how you two look at each other.” 

Bucky sat speechless staring at the doorway to the kitchen while Steve laughed out loud.

“Not how I would have phrased it, but yeah, do that,” Steve said with a laugh. 

Bucky nodded and looked back to his phone to send a text back to Clint.

_Are you home right now?_

As soon as he hit send, Bucky stood from the couch and shoved his phone into his pocket announcing that he was going for a walk and slipped out the door before he could over think things and change his mind. He found himself heading toward Bed Stuy, toward the address that Natasha had saved in his phone along with Clint’s number weeks before, and was a few blocks away when Clint confirmed he was home. 

 

\------

Clint was flipping through Netflix, unable to choose anything to watch when there was a knock at his door, and he wasn’t surprised to find Bucky at the other side this time. He was standing anxiously in the hall, fidgeting with the hem of his jacket and looking ready to run when Clint gestured for him to come in. 

“Sorry to just show up,” Bucky started, glancing around Clints apartment. “I should have asked, I can go if you want.”

“It’s okay, Bucky,” Clint quickly assured him, “Please come in.”

“Thanks,” Bucky said nervously, looking like he was unsure what do do next when Lucky jumped off the couch and came over, sniffing at Bucky’s boots and pants. 

Bucky froze up, nervously eyeing the dog as Lucky circled him curiously, more accustomed to aggressive guard dogs than friendly pets. 

“This is Lucky,” Clint said, looking up at Bucky with a smile, “and Bucky is a friend who we want to stay, so be nice to him.” he said, crouching down to talk to Lucky, “Go lie down and leave him alone for a little bit.” 

Lucky looked up at Bucky with a low wimper, and then made his way across the living room and back on to the couch. 

“He’s just upset that I won’t let him lick your face,” Clint said, standing and looking back at Bucky. “He’s super friendly, I promise.”

“I’ve mostly been around guard dogs before, usually fending them off,” Bucky said softly, looking over at Lucky. “I used to like them though, when I was a kid.” 

“You two should be fine then,” Clint replied, attempting to calm Bucky’s nerves. “And I meant what I said, I do want you to stay. And I hope we are friends.” 

Bucky nodded, still looking like he wasn’t sure what to do now that he had arrived. 

“I was going to order pizza and watch a movie,” Clint said, “Sit down and join me?”

“Sure, that sounds good,” Bucky said, and followed Clint to the couch. 

 

Bucky was searching through Netflix struggling to make a decision while Clint placed an order for two large pizzas through a phone app. Usually he just watched whatever Steve or Sam put on, and was at a loss for what to watch, but Clint had insisted that Bucky choose.

“What the hell is a Sharknado?” Bucky asked, looking confused. 

“Exactly what it sounds like, a tornado that is full of sharks,” Clint explained. 

“How do sharks end up in a tornado?” Bucky asked, still confused. 

“From out of the ocean, when the tornado forms, it like, pulls them in.”

“So its a hurricane then?” 

“No, its a tornado,” Clint repeated. “I don't know how else to explain, so we should just watch it. It’s good.” 

“It sounds awful,” Bucky said, turning to look at Clint.

“Well, It is, but it's the kind of awful that’s good,” Clint said, trying to sound convincing. 

Bucky shrugged and pressed play, since nothing else had caught his eye and Clint seemed into it. 

They were about 30 minutes into the movie when there was a buzz at the door, and Clint jumped up announcing that the pizza had arrived. Bucky paused the movie, which he had to admit he was enjoying so far even though he agreed that it was terrible, and sat awkwardly while Clint paid and collected the pizzas. Lucky had also jumped off the couch and was dancing around Clint with his tail wagging, excited for his share. 

“Lucky, calm down and wait,” Clint told him as he made his way back to the couch. “I’ll give you your piece in a minute.”

“You feed your dog pizza?” Bucky questioned as Clint sat back down.

“Yeah, it’s his favorite,” Clint replied. “And he always manages to steal a piece or two anyway, so it’s easier to just give him his own.”

“Is that good for him?” Bucky asked, looking at Lucky who was sitting on the floor next to the coffee table, beginning to drool as he stared at the boxes. 

“I don’t know, probably not,” Clint said with a shrug. “Probably not good for me either though.”

“Good point,” Bucky agreed. 

Once they had a couple slices of pizza each on a paper towel, which Clint apparently kept a roll of next to the couch, (“A plate and a napkin all in one,” he had explained,) they resumed the movie. Bucky, who had been too nervous to eat much since asking Nat to deliver the folder, realized how hungry he was and quickly ate five pieces before leaning back into the couch with a sigh. Clint did the same soon after, and had shifted closer to Bucky so their shoulders were nearly touching. 

They finished the movie in silence, barely moving as they watched, both feeling each others body heat as they sat close together. 

“Why do you want to be my friend?” Bucky asked as the end credits began. He was still staring ahead at the TV, pointedly avoiding looking at Clint. 

“I don’t know,” Clint replied with a shrug. “I guess cause I like you, and that’s how friends works.”

“But why,” Bucky asked again, “after you read what I did?”

“Doesn't matter to me,” Clint answered, turning his head toward Bucky. “‘Cause I also read about how they made you do it. Doesn’t count.” 

Bucky took a deep breath and held it for a moment, tensing up as he processed what Clint had said, and then let it out with a sigh. He relaxed further when he felt Clints hand on his thigh, solid and comforting, grounding him. 

“I want to know who you are now, under that brooding tough guy mask,” Clint said softly. “I know you aren’t the soldier anymore.” 

Bucky’s chest tightened and tears formed in the corner of his eyes. He still didn’t understand why Clint would care, but he realized that he had been telling the truth. Clint honestly wanted to know him and didn’t care about his past, and he was overwhelmed with feelings of relief, and happiness, and belonging. 

“I don’t know who I am either,” Bucky whispered, voice rough as he tried not to cry. 

“I know that you are a good friend who always has his teammates backs,” Clint began, cautiously putting an arm around Bucky’s shoulders. 

Bucky continued staring straight ahead, eyes glazed over like he wasn’t focused on anything, but didn’t shy away from Clint’s touch. 

“I know that you have ridiculously good aim with a rifle and look a little scary in your tac gear,” Clint continued. 

He tightened an arm around Bucky, gently pulling him closer, and Bucky relaxed into Clints side, tears flowing as his breath hitched.

“I know that you like pizza and awesomely bad action movies. I saw you laughing, don’t try to deny it.” 

Bucky cried harder, trying to hide his face in Clint’s shoulder. Clint put his other arm around him and pulled him into a hug, and Bucky went easily.

“And I think you have needed to cry and be hugged like this for a very long time,” Clint whispered. 

They stayed silent on the couch for several minutes, as Clint rubbed Bucky’s back and stroked his hair until Bucky’s breathing evened out, and he looked up at clint to mouth the words thank you. 

\---

Clint was the first to arrive on the rooftop before the next battle, already prepared to leave his apartment before he even received the text from Bucky. He was in the corner that overlooked the largest intersection in the area, above the entrance leading underground to the subway, fidgeting with his gloves and wrist guard as he waited. It was where he assumed Bucky would want to set up with his rifle. 

Bucky was quiet as he climbed the fire escape, sneaking silently through the shadows to the corner where he had spotted Clint. 

“Hi Clint,” Bucky said when he was a couple feet away, laughing as Clint jumped with surprise and looked at him with wide eyes. 

“Damnit, Bucky,” Clint said, “you scared the shit out of me.”

“Not my fault you weren’t paying better attention to your surroundings,” Bucky said with a shrug and sat down next to Clint.

Clint nodded in agreement. He really hadn’t been paying attention. 

“So, uh, thanks again for last night,” Bucky said softly, looking down as he spoke. 

“You’re welcome,” Clint replied, reaching over to touch his fingertips to Bucky’s. “And I meant it, you can come hang out anytime.”

Bucky shifted his hand to hold Clints on his thigh. They sat in silence for a few moments, holding hands, neither sure what to do other than look at each other awkwardly. Finally, the tension was broken when Bucky got a message through his earpiece. 

“Copy,” Bucky said, raising his other hand to his ear, “We’re on the southwest corner and will be ready in five minutes.”

“Sam and Steve are in position behind that subway entrance,” Bucky explained, pointing to a stairway leading underground across the road from where they were. “And Tony and Nat are nearly ready underground with Dr. Strange. They are hoping to capture one of these things and portal it back to Tony’s lab.”

“Ok, so what are we supposed to do?” Clint asked, still holding Bucky’s hand.

“We keep an eye on the sewer grates and subway entrances from up here, and take out anything that gets past Tony, Nat, and Strange,” Bucky explained. “I’ll take the corner here, and you go a few yards that way. Get above the next big sewer grate if you can. Try to stop them before they start flying.”

“Sounds good,” Clint said, giving Bucky’s hand a squeeze before letting go and standing. He had picked up his arrow and quiver and began moving to his spot before Bucky called to him. 

“You’ll probably need these,” he said, holding out a quiver of arrows. 

“I have my own though?” Clint questioned, holding up his own quiver.

“Tony took one of your taser arrows after the last battle and upgraded them for you,” Bucky said grinning, “They should be able to kill them instead of just disabling them this time.”

“Ooh, my own custom Stark tech,” Clint said, taking the quiver from Bucky. “Does this make me an official Avenger now?” 

“No, Tony just likes making people new toys,” Bucky replied. “But you might be getting close to some kind of reserve Avenger.” 

“I would be an awesome reserve Avenger,” Clint said with a smile. “Be careful.”

“You too,” Bucky said, and then turned a way to set up his gun. 

They had been in position for nearly 15 minutes, sitting in silence as they were too far apart to talk without yelling, when Bucky stood and waved an arm over his head. 

“Wrong rooftop!” Bucky yelled to him. “We gotta move.”

Bucky was quick to pack up his gun and tripod, and began running across the roof with Clint at his heels. 

“Don’t think about it, just follow me and jump!” Bucky yelled over his shoulder, seconds before he jumped from the ledge, clearing a narrow alley and landing on the roof of the next building in a smooth roll. 

Clint felt his heart rate speed up as he realized what he had to do, but was able to easily calm his nerves at the realization that he had managed far riskier stunts with the circus. He focused on his steps, judging the distance to the edge, and jumped. He cleared the distance easily, landing hard and stumbling before falling onto his hands. Bucky smiled as he watched Clint get to his feet again, before taking off in a run to the far end of the roof, putting them at the other end of the block. 

They got into position again quickly, spotting Sam and Steve at the opposite corner of the intersection, just as the slugs began emerging from underground. The flight was intense, with far more slugs able to fly this time, though luckily they didn’t seem to be any larger. Clint had lost count of how many slugs he had grounded and the melting plastic smell was starting to take over the area as the street filled with puddles of goo when Tony Stark came flying out of an underground subway entrance, followed by a man wearing a long red cape. He was projecting some kind of gold energy from his hands which seemed to enable him to fly, and Clint immediately began thinking of him as “The Wizard”. 

“Don’t shoot the ones near Ironman!” Bucky yelled out, and Clint raised a thumbs up in confirmation that he had heard. 

While the rest of the Avengers resumed taking out the slugs around the perimeter, Tony and The Wizard moved the the center, seemingly focused on one slug in particular. They stood across from each other and at the wizards nod, Tony raised his arms straight out infront of him with his palms facing out and shot out a blue and white light. The light wrapped around the slug and formed into a sphere surrounding the slug and immobilized it. 

The Wizard then raised his hands and began making intricate circular hand motions in front of him, and a portal appeared in front of him with glowing golden edges. The then pushed his hands forward, sending the orb with the slug through the portal and into what seemed to be a laboratory on the other side. Tony and the Wizard then jumped through themselves, and the portal quickly snapped shut behind them. 

Clint found himself watching in awe, distracted from the battle momentarily, and was caught off guard by a slug coming directly at him, just making a shot to take him down. 

Finally, the battle ended, and the Avengers and Clint were able to relax again. 

“So either Kate lied to me about those brownies being magic earlier, or I just watched a wizard fly out of the subway and then open a portal,” Clint said as he made his way toward Bucky, who was carefully disassembling and packing his guns. 

“That happened,” Bucky replied with a shrug. “That was Dr. Strange, and he pretty much is a wizard.” 

“Huh, Okay then,” Clint said, accepting that his life had just gotten even more ridiculous. “No wonder Kate never believes me.”

“Get used to it,” Bucky said as he stood and threw his duffel bag onto his back. “Life with the Avengers is rarely normal. Now let's go, Cap wants to quickly debrief everyone.”

“Does this mean im an Avenger now?” Clint asked as they walked toward the fire escape. 

“This means you are invited to a debriefing,” Bucky replied. “Don’t read into it.”

 

Steve, recognizing that everyone was anxious to get home and sleep after the fight got straight to the point. He explained that Stark and Strange’s plan had been successful, and they had managed to capture an alien slug and send it to Tony’s lab. They had suspected for a while that the creatures seemed to be here to collect resources, or perhaps to feed, and since they couldn't stop the portal from opening, they were going to try to redirect it. Stark planned to study their biological makeup to determine what exactly they were coming to earth for, and find an alternate place to send them. Possibly an asteroid. It was a long shot, but they hoped the slugs had some way to communicate that would alert the rest, where ever they were coming from, of the new and better location, and they would stop portaling to earth. 

Once Steve dismissed everyone, and the team began to head home in different directions, Clint and Bucky found themselves standing together in the intersection. Both were fidgeting, looking everywhere but at each other. 

“There’s a Sharknado 2,” Clint said suddenly, while at the same time Bucky asked “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

There was an awkward pause as they tried not to laugh. 

“I have a late class till 8, but no plans after that,” Clint said eventually. 

“Okay,” Bucky replied, “So uh, do you want to get dinner or something?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Clint said with a smile, taking a small step closer to Bucky. “Come over around 8:30?”

“Sure, 8:30. I'll bring Chinese.” Bucky leaned in closer, looking up at Clint with a soft smile. 

They stood close, fingertips just touching for a moment, before Bucky abruptly stepped back and turned away. 

“Gotta go before they leave without me,” Bucky said quickly, gesturing to Sam and Steve who were standing near a taxi. “See ya.”

Clint realized he had been nearly holding his breath, and let it out with a heavy sigh as he watched Bucky walk away. Was this a date? Was he dating Bucky Barnes now?

\---

 

Clint had just gotten out of the shower, and was attempting a quick clean of the living room to at least get rid of the dirty coffee mugs and empty takeout boxes when Lucky alerted him to someone at the door. Bucky was looking anxious holding two bags of food when Clint let him in. 

“I may have gotten too much food, but I didn’t know what you liked, so…” he said with a shrug as he entered the apartment. 

“Not a problem,” Clint said, taking the bags and setting them on the counter. “Chinese makes good leftovers.” 

“Ok, yeah,” Bucky replied and turned back to the door to take his shoes off, still talking as he moved away.

“I dont have my hearing aids in right now,” Clint said, suspecting Bucky had continued talking. “If you are saying something, I can’t hear you.” 

Bucky quickly put his shoes and coat by the door and turned back toward Clint.  
“Sorry, I didn't notice,” Bucky said once he was facing Clint again so his lips could be read. “I asked how your day was.” 

“Don’t apologize, it’s ok,” Clint said with a smile. “And my day was long, didn’t get much sleep last night, but I have tomorrow off, so it’s ok. Now let's eat.”

Bucky nodded, and began pulling containers from the bags and opening them. It was a lot of food, he realized, more than he had thought when he was placing the order. They loaded up plates, and were soon settled on the couch, with Lucky already begging at their feet. 

“I’ll give you your share in a little bit, dog,” Clint said as he scooped up a bite. 

Bucky laughed, and nudged Clint with an elbow. “He likes chinese food too?” Bucky asked once Clint was looking at him. 

“He likes everything I’m eating,” Clint said. “I don’t usually put my hearing aids back in after i shower at night, because they get a little uncomfortable after a while, but I can.”

Bucky shook his head, “Only if you want to,” he said, “we don’t have to talk.”

Clint nodded with a smile, and picked up the remote to turn on Netflix. “Do you like nature documentaries?” 

Bucky nodded, thinking that animals and nature sounded like a good change of pace from their usual alien slugs. He grinned and gave Clint a thumbs up when he saw Clint put on “Round Planet”. 

“You’ve seen it?” Clint asked, looking up at Bucky. 

“I have. Sam and Steve are a little obsessed with it, but I can totally watch it again,” Bucky replied. 

“Cool, It's one of my favorites too,” Clint said, pressing play. 

 

They had each finished two full plates of food, and Lucky had gotten his own small plate with chicken and pork, and were leaning back on the couch, full and sleepy. They had shifted closer after putting down their plates so that shoulders and thighs were just touching, and Clint suddenly leaned over to rest his head on Bucky’s right shoulder. He had been thinking about doing that since they sat down. 

“Just push me off you if this isn't okay,” Clint said, tensing up the slightest bit. 

Bucky responded by shifting his own position so that his cheek was pressed to the top of Clints head and put a hand on Clints thigh. He’d had the same idea. 

Once the tension between them had dissipated, Clint spoke again.  
“Don’t feel like you have to respond, but I want you to know that I meant everything I said the last time you were here,” Clint began. “I do want you here, and to be your friend, because I want to know who you are now. I can tell there’s an amazing person under that mask, and I really want to get to know him better.” 

Bucky froze up for a moment, holding his breath and sitting perfectly still as he listened to Clint, and then abruptly lifted his head and turned to face Clint. He looked Clint in the eye for a moment, making Clint wonder momentarily if he had made a mistake, and then leaned in with a quick chaste kiss to Clint’s lips. He pulled away with his mouth open, looking just as surprised as Clint that he had actually done it. 

“Sorry,” Bucky mouthed, looking like he was about to bolt. 

Clint smiled, and reached out to take Bucky’s hand. “You have nothing to apologize for,” he said, and leaned in again to kiss Bucky back, properly this time. 

They wound up laying on the couch, pressed together on their sides as they made out like teenagers, while Lucky barked at them. It wasn’t clear if he was protesting or cheering them on. 

Bucky pulled away first, breathing heavily as he looked at Clint with a dopey grin. “It's been a while since i’ve done this.” 

“Doesn’t seem to have affected your performance,” Clint replied, and leaned forward to kiss Bucky again.

Bucky didn’t kiss back, pulling away again instead. 

“Too fast?” Clint asked. 

Bucky nodded, refusing to meet Clint’s eye again. “Sorry,” he mouthed. 

“Stop apologizing,” Clint said, shifting his position so his head was on Bucky’s chest. “Is this okay?”

Bucky pressed a kiss to the top of Clints head, and shifted into a more comfortable position with his arm around Clints back. It was more than okay. 

 

Clint woke to Lucky licking his hand, briefly confused by the warm weight across his shoulders. Bucky was still there, sleeping silently half underneath him. Cautiously, he shifted his position, and whispered Bucky’s name, knowing it probably wouldn't take much to wake him up. Bucky’s eyes shot open and he was instantly alert, staring intensely at Clint for a moment before relaxing with a smile. 

“I have to take Lucky outside,” Clint said as an apology and explanation for waking him up. 

Bucky nodded, and moved to help untangle himself from Clint and help him up. 

“You can stay here if you want,” Clint said once he was standing. “You look comfortable.”

Bucky smiled up at Clint, stretched with a yawn and then stood as well. “I was comfortable, but I’m going to go home.” 

“Ok,” Clint said, understanding. He had hoped Bucky would stay the night, but wasn’t surprised that he wanted to leave. Bucky needed slow right now. 

“Walk me to the subway?” Bucky asked, taking a step toward Clint. 

“Sounds good to me,” Clint replied, and leaned in to kiss Bucky again before moving toward the door to put on his shoes and coat. 

They held hands for the whole four block walk to the subway, both grinning as they bumped shoulders as they went. They traveled at a casual pace, letting Lucky set the speed as he investigated all the smells along the sidewalk, and left his mark on every lamp post and street sign along the way. 

“So you’ll text me with the next location, right?” Clint asked as they neared the subway entrance.

“Of course I will,” Bucky replied with a smile. He hesitated a moment, and then reached out to cup his hand to the back of Clints head and pulled him close for another kiss. 

“Goodnight, Clint,” Bucky said after they pulled apart, waiting until Clint was looking at him again. 

“Goodnight, Bucky,” Clint replied, and again, wasn't surprised when Bucky pulled away quickly and took off down the stairs into the subway. 

\---

Two days later, on what they hoped would be the final battle against the slugs, Clint received a text from Bucky with a time to be picked up at his apartment rather than a location to meet at. Tony wanted to meet with all of the Avengers at his lab before the fight, and Clint was invited. He was pacing his apartment, with Lucky eyeing him from the couch, feeling both anxious and excited about going to Stark tower. This had to mean he was a real Avenger now, didn’t it?

He was draining his third cup of coffee when he got another text from Bucky saying they were here, and ran out the door with his bow and arrows. He found a dark sedan out on the street, being driven by Sam with Steve and Bucky in the car as well. 

 

“Hey, Clint,” Steve called from the window, “There’s room for your gear in the trunk.”  
Clint gave him a thumbs up in acknowledgement as the trunk popped open for him. 

“Thanks for the ride,” Clint said as he nervously climbed into the back seat next to Bucky, looking over with a shy smile as he buckled his seat belt. Bucky didn't say anything, but smiled back and slid a hand toward the Clint, loosely grasping Clint’s hand in his as they made their way into Manhattan. 

 

Tony and Dr. Strange were already working when they arrived in the lab, looking over holographic displays of the subway and sewer maps trying to pinpoint the location the slugs would arrive in that evening. In the opposite corner, Nat was standing next to a cage of sorts made of glass and plastic holding the slug they had managed to capture a few days before, glaring at the creature. 

“Hey Tony, Stephen,” Steve called out as they entered the lab. “How’s the plan coming along?” 

“Almost ready, Cap.” Tony replied, walking toward the door to greet the group. “Strange looked at all the possible futures, and locked down the time and location.”

“Good work, are we ready to go over the plan?” Steve asked. 

“Nearly, give us ten minutes,” Tony said, and turned back to the map. 

Steve nodded, and went to sit next to Sam on one of the couches, taking advantage of some down time while they had it. 

Bucky had moved toward Nat to look at the slug, and Clint had followed, standing nervously at his side. 

“I can’t believe these things managed to cause so much destruction,” Nat said as they approached. “It almost looks harmless in here.” 

“Would you have preferred bigger teeth? Or claws?” Bucky asked with a laugh. 

“No thank you,” Nat replied, shaking her head. 

The slug didn’t do much while they stood staring at it, other then occasionally opening its mouth against the glass, or stretching out a wing. 

Clint crouched down to get a better look, looking at the insect like wings that were laid over its back. They were almost translucent with a greenish shimmer, reminding him of a dragonfly’s. 

“They shouldn’t be able to fly with those wings,” Clint announced as he stood, “The physics just don’t make sense.”

“None of this makes sense, babe,” Bucky replied, putting a hand on Clints shoulder. “I’ll be glad to see the end of them.” He stayed standing close, gently stroking Clint’s back, while Clint tried not to make a big deal over Bucky calling him ‘babe’. 

“That is true,” Clint replied in a near whisper, “But something good came out of it at least.” 

Bucky nodded, and looked like he was about to say something more when Steve called them over to the couch to go over the plan. 

Tony and Dr. Strange had managed to pinpoint the exact elements the slugs had come to earth in search of, determining that they were mining grunts sent by what they assumed was a more intelligent species to collect resources. They had also been able to pick up a signal being emitted from the slug that they guessed worked like a gps tracker. 

“I’ve found an asteroid that is abundant with the elements they seem to need, and tests on this guy indicate that the slugs can survive there,” Strange explained. “As soon as their portal opens and the slugs start emerging into the sewers, I will create another portal to send them to the asteroid.” 

“The hope is that the location signal they emit will also alert whatever is sending them of the new and better destination, so fingers crossed, they will take the suggestion and leave earth alone,” Tony said. “We will need you guys to help herd them into the new portal, and take care of any that move in other directions.”

The group nodded in understanding as Tony and Dr. Strange finished their explanation and handed out bracelets to everyone. 

“Put these on, and then press the button on top when the slugs appear. It will send out an electromagnetic pulse, as well as create a high pitched tone that the slug in captivity hates,” Tony explained as everyone slipped on the bracelets. “They should help persuade them to go where we want them to.”

Tony pulled Clint aside as everyone readied to leave.  
“I didn’t have time to test how the bracelets might affect your hearing aids, so If you can get by without them, It may be a good idea to take them out during the fight, just to be safe. Sorry I couldn’t make sure the tone wouldn’t be a problem for you.” 

“Thanks for the heads up,” Clint said with a nod. “I can do that.” While the situation wasn’t ideal, and Clint preferred being able to hear when he was out in the city, he appreciated the fact that Tony had recognized the potential problem, even if he wasn’t able to act on it. 

\-----

 

An hour later, everyone was in position on the street and underground, waiting for the slugs to arrive. Tony and Dr. Strange were closest to where the portal would open, with Steve and Nat nearby to help direct them through. Sam, Bucky and Clint were up on the street, ready to take down any slugs that made it past to the surface. 

While Sam was off talking to a few police officers who would be redirecting traffic away from the intersection, Clint went over to Bucky and slipped an arm around his waist. Bucky looked over at him, surprised for a moment, but quickly relaxed and pulled Clint into a hug. 

“Be careful, Buck,” Clint said softly, before pressing a chaste kiss to Bucky’s cheek. “Don’t let them eat your arm.” 

“I won’t,” Bucky replied as he pulled away. “You be careful too.” 

Clint nodded, and reached up to turn off and remove his hearing aids, tucking them into his pocket. He would be watching for Bucky’s hand signal to turn on the bracelet, once Steve gave the heads up that slugs were coming. 

Clint was ready to go near a large sewer grate when he saw Bucky raise his hand up, and switched on the bracelet. Seconds later, a swarm of about six slugs came flying up from a subway entrance and began moving toward street signs and traffic lights. Sam took to the air, flying in circles over the street and grinning as the slugs moved away from him and the energy coming from the bracelet. With the slugs contained to a small area, Clint and Bucky made quick work disabling and grounding them, and within minutes, they were surrounded by puddles of evaporating goo. 

Bucky gestured for Clint to follow, and lead the group down into the subway to help herd the remaining slugs into Strange’s portal. Clint saw Nat first, and she waved to get his attention. She held up two fingers, and then pointed down a hallway, and Clint took off in the direction she had pointed in. He wasn’t surprised to find two slugs around the corner, gnawing on a set of gates and turnstiles leading to the subway entrance and quickly took them out with the taser arrows Tony had made him. 

Clint was on his way back toward the stairway they had come down when he saw Bucky coming toward him with a grin. 

“It’s over,” Bucky said once Clint was facing him, as he reached take Clint’s hand in his and turn off his bracelet. 

They continued holding hands all the way back to the street where they met up with the rest of the team. 

Clint was putting his hearing aids back in and had them turned on just in time to hear Tony excitedly shout “Shawarma!” as he emerged from the subway. 

“What’s happening?” Clint asked, looking over at Bucky. 

“Celebration dinner at the Shawarma Palace, near the Stark tower,” Bucky explained. “It’s kind of a tradition.”

“Food sounds great to me,” Clint said with a shrug, and followed back to Sam’s car. 

\----

The restaurant was small, with a tattered sign that looked like it had been hanging for decades, with middle eastern specialties being advertised in the window. Clint smiled as they walked in, catching the familiar smell of fried foods as they sat around a large table in the middle of the restaurant. He had been worried that Tony would take them someplace fancier, but it turned out that despite being rich, the guy still ate like normal people sometimes. 

“Mr. Stark!” a man greeted happily as they tiredly shuffled in. “It is always wonderful to see you and your Avenger friends!”

“Great to see you too, Tenzin,” Tony replied with a smile. “Thank you for staying open for us this evening!”

“I know that when you ask, it is because you have saved our city again, so it is always wonderful to have you here,” Tenzin said, setting down cups of water around the table. “Your meal is almost ready, just sit and relax a moment.” 

Bucky had said that coming here was a tradition, and Clint suspected that the staff was very generously compensated each time. He also suspected that the fresh coat of paint and new- looking tables and chairs in the dining room also had something to do with Tony. 

The Avengers settled in around the table, slinking down low in their chairs, or slumped over the table, or in Sam and Steve's case, half in each others laps. The battle induced adrenaline, and the post battle euphoria had worn off, and sleep and hunger were now the predominate moods. While the battle itself hadn't been all that strenuous, the month they had spent repeatedly fighting the same enemy had taken a toll.

Before long, Tenzin and a couple of his employees returned with several platters filled with pita bread, and shaved beef and chicken, fried samosas and pakora, and various sauces and vegetables. It looked like too much food, but Clint soon realized that at least Steve and Bucky had super soldier appetites, and realized it was probably about right. 

Bucky finished his third pita bread that he had stuffed with various meats and vegetables, and leaned toward Clint with a satisfied sigh, resting his head on Clint’s shoulder. Now full of food, all of the Avengers had resumed to their previous slouched positions and looked like they were about to fall asleep. 

“So Legolas,” Tony said, breaking the silence. “Good job out there.”

Clint glanced around in confusion, having thought he knew everyone's names already. 

“He means you, idiot,” Bucky mumbled in his ear. “You just got your first nickname from Stark.”

“Oh, sorry,” Clint said, sitting up a little more to look at Tony. “It was great to be able to fight with you guys.” 

Clint ignored the pinch from Bucky on his hip, protesting having his shoulder pillow disturbed.  
“Was comfortable,” Bucky mumbled as he sat up again as well. 

“So you should come by the tower again sometime, I’ll show you my lab and see what other kinds of arrows I can make for you,” Tony said, “I noticed that grappling hook thing could use some work.”

Bucky groaned at the mention of the grappling hook, remembering swinging into a car and crashing onto the street, while clinging to Clints back. ‘Some work’ was an understatement. 

“And also, if you want,” Tony continued, “those look like they could use and upgrade as well.” He pointed to his ear as he spoke. 

“We can talk about that,” Clint said with a nod. Tony had a point, his hearing aids were pretty old, and he still wore the same bulky style that hooked over his ears that he had first gotten over twenty years ago. He had been given the option to change to something smaller, and more discreet over the years, but had always declined. 

He wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed about being deaf, and felt a sense of pride about his hearing aids being visible, and never tried to hide them, especially when he was teaching. He had a couple students who were deaf as well, and wanted to be a positive, visible, role model for them. It was also important for all of the kids to see that a disability wouldn't stop people from pursuing their goals. 

“Well, It’s been fun,” Sam said, standing after nudging Steve awake, “but I’m ready for bed.” 

Natasha yawned, and stood up as well. They had all had the same thought, but needed the nudge to actually stand up and leave. 

“So do I get to be an Avenger now?” Clint asked as they headed toward the door. 

“Well, maybe,” Steve said. “It’s really director Fury’s call on that, but we will keep you in mind if there's another situation you can help with.”

“So like a reserve Avenger then?” Clint asked hopefully.

“Sure, if that’s what you want to call yourself,” Steve said with a tired shrug. 

“You hear that babe?” Clint said, throwing an arm around Bucky’s shoulders, “I’m a Reserve Avenger now!” 

Bucky laughed and shook his head, and then turned to quickly kiss Clint on the cheek.  
“Just like you wanted.”

Clint smiled at him, and leaned in to pull him into a deep kiss.

“Hey, quit making out and get in the car, or you’re walking home,” Sam yelled from the street. 

Bucky blushed as he pulled away, and grabbed Clint by the arm to drag him to the car. 

“So, stay over at my place tonight?” Clint asked as they walked. 

“Yeah, I think I like the idea of waking up next to you,” Bucky replied. 

 

\------

 

Epilogue- 3 Months Later

 

Bucky was the first to wake, as was the usual when he stayed over at Clint’s (which was almost every night now if they were being honest), and shifted to turn and look at Clint who was still softly snoring with an arm thrown across Bucky’s waist. Bucky smiled as he looked over at his boyfriend, trying to keep this moment saved in his memory for when Clint would be gone on tour. Clint and Kate were leaving the next day with ten of their top students to join a large circus for six weeks and Bucky already missed them.

After a long moment, Bucky leaned in and placed a soft kiss to Clints forehead before wriggling out of the position they had tangled themselves into overnight and made his way to the kitchen. Lucky followed him, getting up from his pillow on the bedroom floor as soon as he saw Bucky get out of bed, and sat next to his food bowl, staring intently at the bag of kibble on the counter, while Bucky made coffee. Once the coffee maker was dripping and gurgling as it brewed, Bucky put a scoop of food in Lucky’s bowl, laughing at the incredulous look he got from the dog. 

“Yeah Lucky, its kibble,” Bucky said with a laugh, “because you are a dog and that’s what dogs eat.” Bucky had taken it upon himself to get more actual dog food and less people food into Lucky’s diet, and Lucky was not impressed. He did eat it though, eventually. 

Once the coffee was finished, Bucky filled two mugs and grabbed a couple granola bars before heading back to the bedroom. He set one mug down on Clints nightstand, and then crawled back into his side of the bed, carefully holding his own mug. Bucky sat up against the headboard, poking at Clints leg with his toe as he sipped at his coffee, amusing himself as Clint slept through increasingly aggressive pokes. 

Finally, Clint woke up enough to jerk his leg away and mumble something that was probably “stop, you asshole,”. He rolled over and glared at Bucky, who was smiling at him while sipping coffee, and glared harder until Bucky pointed to the mug next to the bed. Clint’s expression quickly shifted to smile as he snatched the mug and shifted to sit up next to Bucky. 

Clint was quiet as he sipped at his coffee, leaning into Bucky’s shoulder as he slowly woke up. After several minutes, they had emptied their mugs, and Clint had put in his hearing aids, a sign that he was awake enough to talk. 

“I’m going to miss you, babe,” Bucky said, putting an arm around Clint’s shoulders and pulling him closer. “Six weeks is a long time.”

“Yeah, but technically you only have to wait two weeks to see me though,” Clint replied. “Remember your coming to visit me in Vermont, and then again in Maine.”

When Clint learned that Bucky had never been to a circus, he insisted that Bucky come visit on tour, and worked out a couple locations where Bucky could come stay in Clint’s camper for a couple nights and see the show. Kate had given them shit about it, but quickly agreed to find someone else to bunk up with for those nights, as she and Clint generally shared. 

“That camper is going to be rocking, and I’ll make sure no one comes a knocking!” She had said with a grin, making both Clint and Bucky blush. 

Bucky pulled Clint in for a coffee flavored kiss, and Clint was quick to flip around and throw a leg across Bucky’s lap, straddling him to kiss him deeper. 

“Still going to miss you, a lot,” Bucky said as the pulled apart. “And it’s going to be weird to actually stay at home, with Steve and Sam while you’re gone.”

“I’m going to miss you too,” Clint replied. “And I’ve been thinking about the home thing too.” 

Bucky raised an eyebrow in confusion. 

“Move in with me, here, when I get back,” Clint said quickly, nervously gripping Bucky’s hand as he spoke. 

“You don’t think it's too soon?” Bucky questioned. They had only known each other for a little over three months. 

“Maybe,” Clint said with a shrug, “But you stay here more nights than you’re apartment already, so I dont think it would change much?” 

Bucky nodded in agreement. The last time he had stayed at Sam and Steve’s was over a week before, when a mission had gotten them back to the city around two in the morning. 

“I think I like that idea,” Bucky said with a smile, and leaned in to kiss Clint again slow and deep. 

“Good,” Clint said once he had caught his breath again. “Because I really like when you are here.”

“I do too, and I hope you didn’t make plans to go anywhere today,” Bucky said, tossing a granola bar at Clint, “because I have lots of plans for us today, and none of them involve leaving this bed, so eat up. You’re gonna need the energy.” 

“Yes, Sir,” Clint said with a smirk, and tore into the granola bar. “Is this your idea of breakfast in bed?”

“Something like that,” Bucky replied, opening his own bar. “Or maybe its a pre-apology for how sore Im going to make you tomorrow.” 

“That a promise?” Clint asked. 

“It is,” Bucky replied. “Remember we have two weeks to make up for.”

Clint was quiet a moment, still straddling Bucky’s lap as he ate, and stoked is fingers over Bucky’s exposed chest and stomach. 

“I love you, Scary Avenger dude,” he said softly. 

“I love you too, Arrow Guy,” Bucky replied.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at us on twitter! 
> 
> Kai- @queerily_k and Chalenmimi- @shallianArt
> 
> Or on tumblr if you're still there...
> 
> Kaiwrites.tumblr.com and chalenmimi-frenchtoast.tumblr.com


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